612

[Your name is also Eddie?]

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San Francisco, California.

Under the city lights, a disheveled man silently walked down the street. His clothes were rumpled, his beard unkempt, hands buried in his pockets, and his head always hung low, wearing a bitter expression.

Eddie Brock didn't feel like a homeless man.

He felt more like a stray dog.

It wasn't surprising Eddie felt this way. After all, he had hit rock bottom in life.

He lost his job, broke up with his girlfriend over his attempt to expose the Life Foundation scandal, and went from being a respected reporter to a destitute, down-and-out loser.

Now he endured cramped living conditions, noisy neighbors, and faced overdue credit card bills daily, sometimes worrying about where his next meal would come from.

Eddie Brock, at the lowest point in his life, was certain he was the most miserable person in the world. Even the homeless seemed to live more comfortably than he did.

At least, he thought, there was one homeless person he knew who had it better than him: a woman named Maria.

Maria slept on the streets, yet she always seemed cheerful, a fact that made Eddie envious.

But today, Maria had disappeared for some reason. Her makeshift bed and scattered belongings were still there on the street, but she was gone.

Eddie glanced at the messy spot where Maria used to sleep, feeling a bit puzzled. He shrugged it off, figuring she had some urgent business and would return soon.

He passed by Maria's abandoned spot, heading towards a small convenience store. After a brief chat with the owner, he began selecting provisions for the next few days.

"Mr. Brock." A hesitant voice interrupted him.

Eddie looked up to see a thin, bespectacled woman before him. "Who are you?"

Glancing around nervously, she pulled him aside into a corner and spoke in a low voice. "I'm Dr. Dora Skoles from the Life Foundation. I've been looking for you..."

Upon hearing "Life Foundation," Eddie started to turn away.

"Wait, Mr. Brock, please listen!" Dora grasped his arm, speaking urgently. "The rumors about the Life Foundation conducting illegal human experiments are true. Carlton Drake is conducting inhumane experiments, and people have died because of it!"

"The Foundation brought in vulnerable individuals, made them sign contracts they didn't understand, and used them as test subjects for symbiotes!"

"...What's a symbiote?" Eddie interrupted.

Dora hesitated briefly before explaining, "A symbiote is a special alien creature that requires a host to survive. Once bonded, the host gains incredible physical abilities far beyond normal humans, but there are also horrific side effects."

Eddie fell silent for a moment before asking, "Why are you telling me this, and why should I believe you?"

Taking a deep breath, Dora replied, "Drake is killing people. I couldn't stand by and do nothing. But I'm not brave enough to stop him. I have children. That's why I came to you."

"What can I do?" Eddie's voice was tinged with bitterness. "I've lost everything. In three months, I'll be sleeping on the street."

Dora motioned for him to listen, saying, "I'll find a way to sneak you into the Foundation's lab. You take photos as evidence and leave. You're a good reporter; you'll know what to do with it."

Eddie remained silent for a long moment.

"Please, Mr. Brock," Dora pleaded.

---

A few days later.

Another night descended, and Eddie Brock sneaked into the Life Foundation's laboratory with a camera he hadn't let go of despite his hardships.

"Here we are. Take the photos quickly. I'll keep watch outside," Dora instructed hurriedly before leaving the lab to stand guard.

Eddie wasted no time, snapping photos of everything inside the lab.

True to Dora's words, Carlton Drake, the head of the Life Foundation, was indeed conducting brutal experiments on humans. Several corpses bore witness to these atrocities.

Armed with this evidence, Eddie could expose Drake and bring him to justice.

The thought of bringing down the Life Foundation gave Eddie a sense of grim satisfaction. He snapped photo after photo, increasing his pace.

"Eddie!" A sudden cry, barely audible through the glass, rang out behind him.

Startled, Eddie turned to see his friend Maria trapped in a small glass chamber.

"Maria!" Shocked, Eddie rushed over. "What are you doing here?"

"Help me, Eddie! Get me out!" Maria pounded on the glass frantically, her voice hoarse and hair disheveled.

Eddie quickly tried to unlock the door, triggering an alarm throughout the lab.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Red lights flashed as the lab went into lockdown.

"Damn!" Eddie cursed, attempting to free Maria once more.

Grabbing a fire extinguisher, he smashed it against the glass with all his might.

Cracks formed, but to his surprise, Maria burst through the weakened barrier like a wild animal.

"What are you doing?" Eddie was taken aback, but Maria's strength had inexplicably multiplied, overpowering him and pinning him to the ground.

Then something horrifying happened.

Amid Maria's agonized cries, golden tendrils erupted from her body, surging towards Eddie. In an instant, they merged into his body like water soaking into a sponge.

As soon as the golden goo left her, Maria collapsed, unmoving.

"Don't move!" Black-clad gunmen stormed into the lab from all directions, surrounding Eddie.

Possessed by an unknown force, Eddie broke free from their grasp and dashed towards a nearby window.

With the agility of a cheetah, he smashed through the glass and plummeted from the skyscraper's top floor!

As he fell, fear gripped Eddie. What was he thinking?

Suddenly, a deep voice rumbled beside him, "Eddie is your name too?"

"Who's there?" Eddie, free-falling, scanned his surroundings for the source of the voice. It was so rough; could it be an angel?

But why would an angel sound so gruff?

The voice didn't reply.

In the next moment, Eddie's arms transformed into powerful, golden tendrils, like asphalt. Without his volition, they embedded themselves into the building's side.

"Wow!"

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